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Micah: Messiah's Prophet
Micah stands in a special place among the minor prophets, for it is he alone who names the birthplace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Inspired of the Holy Spirit, Micah informs his reader, that not only will the Messiah be born in Bethlehem, but also that he will be the fullness of the Godhead bodily, when he states that the Messiah is, "from everlasting" (Micah 5:2). This speaks of one of several attributes belonging only to God the creator. It is one thing for a saved Christian to look forward to eternal salvation, but to be "from everlasting" sets the Messiah back to the beginning of time and dare I say, even before.
Micah's messianic prophecies are unlike Daniel's. Where Daniel had much to say about the times of the gentiles that have stretched from Daniel's day, through Jesus' day, to our day and up until the second coming, Micah's messianic prophecies begin at the birth of the Savior in Bethlehem and then skip over most of the gentile age, (except in drawing attention to the backsliding ways of Israel and the diaspora), and bring the reader directly to the last days, the re-gathering of Israel, the defeat of the Antichrist, the defeat of the heathen nations, the overthrow of false belief among Israel, and the establishment of messianic peace under messianic rule. This vast scope of some 2000 years is covered in just the 14 verses from Micah 5:2 - Micah 5:15.
The fifth chapter of Micah is truly outstanding. It is no wonder that Micah 5:2 is quoted on so many Christmas cards each year, as it mentions the birthplace of our Lord. But how sad it is to realize that many, reading those verses, have never grasped the prophetic truth there in. The prophets wrote in great detail of every important aspect of the life, death, resurrection, and the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. From his birthplace to his illegal execution, from his healing ministry to his humility, and from his tortured stripes to his day of vengeance. We should pray for a great awakening in our day, to the Lord's glory, for without such an awakening in this life many will awaken to everlasting perdition. If we, as God's watchmen fail to sound the warning, then their blood will be on our hands. We should take the opportunity that Christmas gives us each year, when Micah 5:2 is quoted on so many greeting cards, to breach the subject of Bible prophecy. For it is Bible prophecy that gives us hope for a better future than we could ever have without God's promises. God has proven faithful in the prophecies already fulfilled. His promises will not fail. Let God be true. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.
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